Alabama college and university enrollment is trending upward again this year, according to preliminary data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

University enrollment increased 2.4% in 2024 from last year and community college enrollment went up 12.7%. And an increasing number of Alabama high school students are attending school in-state.

“I think that we should all be optimistic that we do still have people that understand the value of education and how that’s important for their future career,” said Jim Purcell, executive director of ACHE.

One of the state’s biggest increases in college enrollment comes from people who are still in high school. High school students in dual enrollment represent 4.9% of university enrollment and a whopping 31.9% of community college enrollment.

These trends are encouraging, Purcell said, because the COVID-19 pandemic triggered drops in undergraduate enrollment by 6% in 2020. Enrollment figures have steadily increased over the last four years.

Schools with double digit increases in enrollment include:

• Ingram State Technical College: 33.3% increase
• Enterprise State Community College: 22.1% increase
• Trenholm State Community College: 18.3% increase
• Drake State Community and Technical College: 14.4% increase
• Coastal Alabama Community College: 14.1% increase
• University of West Alabama: 12.2% increase
• Alabama A&M University: 11.8% increase

Some state universities aren’t growing as quickly, but still are seeing annual increases in their student body.

The University of Alabama saw record enrollment this fall, exceeding 40,000 for the first time. That includes the largest in-state freshman class ever.

And the University of South Alabama noted high enrollment, particularly among engineering and health sciences students.

Not every two-year or four-year college is growing.

Schools with at least 1% decrease in enrollment include:

• Lurleen B. Wallace Community College: 4.3% decrease
• University of Alabama in Huntsville: 2.1% decrease
• Troy University: 1.2% decrease

Colleges also are keeping an eye on financial aid and long-term enrollment rates after many students reported issues filling out federal financial aid forms in 2024.

There was a slight decrease, about 2%, in the number of students filling out the FAFSA, due to issues with the new form’s release. The 2025-2026 FAFSA opens Oct. 1.

“Compared to all the trauma, all the drama that was related to getting everybody contacted and helping them with the new form, I think the state turned out okay,” Purcell said.